I wholeheartedly believe in the power of the mind body connection. A healthy body fosters a healthy mind. Teaching what I am passionate about is a big gift to me and that is what I share with our students.

We will learn fitness concepts, movement skills, muscle groups, nutrition, mindfulness activities and responsible behavior. We engage in a variety of activities and small sided games to put skill into dynamic practice. We focus on practice over results. We prioritize enjoyment of moving our bodies.

Through mindfulness activities like yoga and Brain Power Wellness, all students learn:

• Responsible behavior — awareness of space, safe handling of equipment.
• Value of physical activity.

Grades K–2: Movement skills & concepts — balance, jumping, landing, catching/throwing, kicking, passing, receiving, dodging, locomotor and non-locomotor skills, coordination.

Grades 3–5: Skill-related fitness concepts such as agility, reaction time, coordination, balance, speed and power.

I’ve been a dancer and dance therapist for over 20 years. I’ve also trained and taught yoga, gymnastics, and taekwondo. I’m self-taught in house and street dance. Some general themes of my teaching practice are justice, activism, connecting to nature, neighborhoods, body positivity, mindfulness, and inclusion.

At PS 20, I am co-sustainability coordinator, and I also help with Rainbow Club for our LGBT+ community, as well as hosting the annual PS 20 Talent Show in the spring.

With lower grades, I focus on creative movement, rhythm, developing style, and social dance. With upper grades, I include a little choreography and history, and start to teach a little technique, such as ballet and hip hop. My philosophy of dance education applies broadly to all techniques.

In September and October, all grades learn Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance, and perform a dance mob at Halloween. Every year, I also include 10-week units of yoga, gymnastics, and martial arts. I try to sprinkle in singing, stories, and yoga practices in every class.

I am a seasoned educator and lifelong advocate for the environment. I see grades K–5 once a week in the Hydroponics Lab, and during that time students will be Farmer Scientists, learning a variety of topics such as hydroponics and the environment, aquaponics (fish!), germination, and plant life cycles. You can look forward to your student(s) proudly bringing home vegetables that they grew themselves throughout the school year.

Additionally, using the Amplify Science curriculum as a resource, students will engage in grade specific topics and investigations.

When I’m not at school you can find me hanging out with my 2 kids, playing with our dog, or going for runs throughout our beautiful city.

I am the instrumental music teacher at PS 20, servicing grades K through 5. Music is once per week with an emphasis on learning to play the following band instruments: clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, or drums. All classes will work on rhythm, reading notated music (1st–5th) and music theory.

Kindergarteners begin their musical journey with percussion instruments, recorder, and the trumpet. They work solely on reading rhythms rather than actual notes during their first year.

1st–5th grade will work on learning to play and read all notated music on their chosen instrument.

Bonjour! My name is Andrew Ortner, or simply Mr. O. I grew up in the city, but lived in France during the summers in my childhood and later studied in the South of France in high school and college. I love to scuba dive, ride my bike, practice yoga, play the drums, and admire my Cosmo.

I teach French as a second language for 3K through 5th grades. My classes engage students in French learning through conversation, French culture from the French speaking world and even science.

This year I will introduce the wonders of the undersea world in the French language through Jacques Cousteau and his works, as well as sharing videos of my own diving experiences. We delve into the music and culture of French speaking artists beyond France.

Every class begins with basic conversations such as , "comment tu t'appelles", "what is your name"? "Quel âge as-tu"? "How old are you"? My upper grades will be learning about the French "ER" verbs in the present including aller and avoir which are vital auxillary verbs for past tense creation. These students will also learn "restaurant French" so they can eventually order a simple meal in a French speaking country. I also will introduce basic poetry and stories that will be read aloud and support a rich vocabulary base.